A TIMELESS FUTURE | KIARA FONTANESI

It was August 2007, I had just won the Loretta Lynn's trophy. My dad took this photo to capture the event. In the pic there is my mother Roberta, my brother Luca, and the Lotticis, family friends for a long time. There is a very special bond between our families, and they have always been with us at crucial times of our life. 

I remember that moment as if it were yesterday. I hadn't just won something very important, I was also taking my first steps in a whole new world. That year I went to the United States three times to get qualified and no one would have ever guessed that I would win all the races. Aged 13, with zero knowledge of English, I was on the other side of the world competing in one of the most coveted trophies that have crowned all the best professional riders of all times.

The track was incredible; at that age I didn't even know the meaning and the difficulty of some sectors of the circuit. There were 42 of us at the gate and I didn't know anyone. I kicked off in the lead and stayed there until the end: I won all three heats.

It was at that moment that I realized I had the chance to achieve great results, but above all I could earn the trust of partners who believed in me and made my dream of becoming a professional motocross rider possible. At the end of the race many brands approached me offering contracts. I looked at my father, told him we could not go back home and no way I would miss those opportunities. He did not agree, so we went back home giving up all the proposals.

From that moment on it’s been an escalation of results. I won the Italian championship and then the World Cup. If this is what is meant for you, opportunities are never missed. The sponsors I had heavy heartedly turned down, came back to me in Europe, so I finally became a true cross-country rider. It was everything I wanted from my life and thanks to the motorbike I was able to make all my dreams come true.